This month I didn’t go out into the garden to look for foliage to photograph for this post but instead decided that I would look through the images I have taken so far this month and think about how the foliage relates to the whole garden experience.
This image taken on the first of May sums up my thoughts on foliage; even though the garden seemed full of flowers at the time (May 1st) in this particular view there are only a couple of tail end tulips still blooming and yet to me it looks lovely. The texture and form and the varying shades of green MAKE the garden.
Looking accross the small island to the circular rose bed
Looking across the large island there are flowers but without the foliage it would be a pretty poor show (May 5th)
Under the mulberry the blue colour and texture of Festuca glauca contrasts with the deep plum colour Huechera. (May 5th)
Under the Mulberry
Some plants have foliage almost more lovely than their flowers.
Crimson edged leaf of Allium Karataviense
Cotinus
Sedum with feathery silvery folage of an artemisia
One red poppy in the formal beds of Perovskia
Large island in the foreground
Looking across the large island there are flowers but without the foliage it would be a pretty poor show (May 5th)
Again this month I wanted to show you that by changing your images to tones of grey (thank goodness for digital photography) you can see very clearly how textures and forms work together to make a pleasing tapestry that will form the background to the flowers you want to display to their best advantage.
Cistus, Artemisia and Eleagnus with Allium Christophii
Same image in colour
A narrow path leading you further into the garden
The grey image emphasises how wriggly the path edge is, I must adjust this, as it is unnecessarily fussy
The same image in colour
What job is foliage doing in your garden? Do you have a plant that you chose because it had lovely foliage rather than for the colour of its flowers? If you are in the Southern Hemisphere it is autumn now, do you have some colourful autumn foliage to share with us?
To join in GBFD, simply post about foliage and leave a comment here with the link.
Right now the main foliage is weeds…now once I get a handle on them, mulch and divide some plants, the garden will finally be where I want it to be in the back.
Oops forgot the link…
http://gardenseyeview.com/2013/05/13/happiness-on-a-may-bloom-day/
Thanks for joining again this month Donna. Weeds are always an issue, but soon the other plants will cover the ground for you and this will hide any weeds that remain. Christina
Wonderful!
Each one of your views is magical. I need to bookmark this for future reference. Using black and white is a good tip for checking the design and balance. Thanks for hosting GBFD Christina. Here is my post: http://pbmgarden.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/garden-bloggers-foliage-day-may-2013/
Susie
Thanks for joining in again Susie. Glad you found the post useful. Christina
I always enjoy walking through your garden and I really appreciated your tips on how you created that feeling through contrast and the role foliage plays in creating that contrast.
I’m happy you found the post useful Charlie. What foliage do you recommend. Christina
A very useful post for me. Your Mulberry tree area seems to be perfect for the summer.
The views of your small island and large island really do have a great mix of foliage – not just greens, but browns and bronze from the cotinus too.The poppy foliage in my garden is lovely at the moment, but does tend to swamp other plants a little!
I agree with everything you say about foliage Christina, it is hugely important for creating interest all through the year. Your purple heuchera and blue festuca complement each other perfectly with contrasting texture, colour and shape. Many thanks for hosting GBFD once again. My link is-
http://www.leadupthegardenpath.com/news/so-many-shades-of-green-gbfd/
Hi Pauline, thanks for joining in again this month. Looking forward to reading your post. Christina
A note from my visit to Joan Tesei’s garden near Grosetto: http://giardinoumbro.blogspot.it/
What is that wonderful purple Sedum?!?!
http://www.rhonestreetgardens.com/2013/05/foliage-follow-up-may-2013.html
Ho notato che più mi appassiono a questa materia più l’interesse per il fogliame aumenta. Santolina, artemisia, pittosporo nano, sono alcuni esempi di piante scelte in base a questo criterio. Ho commesso anche tanti errori quando non ho considerato il fogliame.
Anna maria
Il mio link:
http://oltreilgiardinoblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/gbfd-fogliame-trame-e-tessiture/
Grazie che ti sei scritto qualcosa sul fogliame questa mese, Anna Maria. Christina
Without foliage you cannot have that sense of lushness I think is so important to gardens. Yours is lovely. I love that sot of the red poppy in the Russian shade.
It is so pretty! There is something so special about Autumn. I always look forward to the leaves changing on the trees. It is spring here right now, it has been unseasonably COLD and RAINY! oh do Rainy! However, it has warmed up since the weekend and our yards are going crazy! ~maria
Great tip about using black and white images to judge foliage combinations, Christina. I’ll certainly be giving that a try in spring.
Foliage is almost always my first consideration. In fact, sometimes flowers are an annoying distraction. You make the case beautifully.
Thanks Ricki, I agree, I wouldn’t buy a plant with bad foliage even if it did have lovely flowers. Christina
Hi Christine, the first picture really says it all. I love your gray+purple combos such as stipa and heuchera and the sedum with that artemisia…
Thanks Alberto, purple and silver or grey are always a winning combination. Christina
I had my post up early this month, so I’ll adjust the link from your April to May.
http://eefalsebay.blogspot.com/2013/05/lighten-our-darkness.html
Perfect Diana, I’m always happy if you link to both foliage memes. Thanks for joining in this month. Christina
Thanks for hosting as always, Christina. It was interesting how you decided to change the focus of the post to show how the foliage linked it all together – I shall take a special ramble round my garden to see where I could add more foliage to pull certain areas together. How many heuchera do you have in the clump round your mulberry? My post is now up at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/gbfd-feeling-frustrated-following-foliage-fotography/
Thanks for joining in GBFD this month Cathy. I do believe that foliage is always important not just as special plants that don’t flower but how the foliage of one plant can support the beauty of the flowers of something else. Christina
My cotinus still has tightly furled buds but I am really looking forward to seeing the leaves, one of my favourite shrubs. I agree with Alberto, that first image says it all, the euphorbias add wonderful structure, I am looking forward to a plant delivery tomorrow that includes several that I hope will make a B&W photo of my front garden more architecturally interesting. Sorry not to have joined in this month, life has intervened leaving no time for blogging.
Don’t worry about not joining in this month; it is always nice to hear from you. I hope you are having an opportunity of enjoying your garden. Christina